A comparison of residents' attitudes towards tourism in 10 New Zealand destinations

Abstract

A comprehensive investigation was carried out into New Zealand residents' perceptions of tourism. Qualitative research was conducted and, in addition to an extensive literature review, formed the basis of the survey instrument. The resulting mail questionnaire was used to survey residents from 10 towns. These towns were selected to provide a representation of places with different roles and levels of involvement with the tourism industry. The article offers a brief background to for each of the destinations surveyed and presents the main findings. Significant differences between towns are examined and a multidimensional scaling approach is used to provide an overall summary of the results. Implications are discussed in the context of how residents' perceptions will affect the future management of tourist destinations at various stages of development.